Part two prologue Eva Cassidy Biography

In part one, Johan Bakker recounted his unforgettable introduction to the voice of Eva Cassidy. Who was she and why had he never heard of her before? After talking to singer Katie Melua, who, like him, was deeply impressed by Eva’s voice, the writer decided to investigate further to find out more about the singer who died so young. Here is part two of the prologue to the Eva Cassidy biography.

Listen to the text on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwoT2kO3kvc

A biographical work entitled Songbird appears to have been published in 2003. That is a first step. With the help of The American Book Centre, I can order it. It is a women’s magazine-style picture book with quotes from people who knew Eva. It contains quite a lot of information, although the presentation is rather haphazard. Moreover, the book is hagiographic in tone, as if Eva Cassidy had been a saint. This somewhat unreal tone also prevails in most British and American newspaper articles.

Songbird book

The book Songbird gives the impression that family, friends and band members remember Eva Cassidy unanimously with great affection. However, many pressing questions remain unanswered: why did a singer of this calibre remain unknown for so long? Why is she so popular in England and other European countries, while Americans shrug her off? Did she write her own songs? Why was she still living with her parents at the age of 33? Could her early death from skin cancer have been prevented? Why did she sing gospel songs? What about the visual art she created? Can her work be admired in a museum?

At the studio of Chris Biondo

There is little else to do but start an investigation myself. Apparently, the two most important people in Eva’s life were producer, band member and friend Chris Biondo and her mother Barbara. Chris Biondo is easy to trace via the website of the company he runs together with Lenny Williams, the former pianist of The Eva Cassidy Band. The two are successful documentary composers for National Geographic and other television channels; they won several Grammys for their soundtracks. Chris responds to my written request with a simple mention of his telephone number.

American Tune

‘The huge publicity surrounding Eva dates back a few years now,’ Chris explains after some initial hesitation. Following the release of Songbird, Time after Time and American Tune, he travelled to Europe, where he was interviewed on radio and television. Yes, you can call him an ambassador for Eva Cassidy. ‘I feel like I have to protect her from the evil outside world,’ he says. ‘Eva was a vulnerable person during her lifetime. Now that she is gone and has become posthumously successful, it doesn’t bring out the best in other people.’ Chris speaks in a decisive tone that tolerates no contradiction. At the same time, he seems reluctant to confide in a European journalist he doesn’t know.

Young Eva

Chris explains that “those left behind” interact less harmoniously than the Songbird book suggests. After Eva’s death, Chris gave her parents the recordings he had made with Eva in his studio. At that point, no one expected that within a few years, more than ten million CDs would be sold by this unknown, shy singer. Parents and band members had initially devised a distribution key for any royalties, but when the money started rolling in, Eva’s family changed the rules. When friends of Eva, in possession of other recordings, tried to release their own albums, they had to justify themselves in court. Film and documentary makers who wanted to do something with Eva’s extraordinary life story were prevented from working.

Method Actor album

Eva’s parents, frequently portrayed in British newspapers, are less easy to find than Chris Biondo. However, there is a website about Eva’s visual art, run by her sister Margret and her half-sister Anette. Via evacassidy.com, it is possible to order reproductions of paintings, drawings and bead necklaces that Eva made during her lifetime. In an email, I explain that I am researching the life and work of Eva Cassidy and that I would like to get in touch with people who knew Eva. (note webmiss: this website no longer exists)

The Essence Of Eva

The email hits the mark, because I receive a reply from Hugh Cassidy, Eva’s father himself. He refers in general terms to the Songbird book, which he says “has everything in it”. Delighted with this quicker-than-expected response, I explain my intentions. Songbird has never been translated into Dutch, and I would like to write a book in which I will try to connect Eva’s music, her art and her life. I’d like to interview both Hugh and Barbara. Hugh responds the next day, saying that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to talk on the phone “because of the time difference”, but emailing is fine. Hugh answers dozens of questions in a fairly candid manner. Barbara, who was born in Germany and lived through the war there, sends me a long, hand written letter about that dark period in history.

Hugh and Barbara